Lercanidipine
About
Lercanidipine belongs to a class of medications called 'antihypertensives' primarily used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a chronic condition in which the blood force against the artery wall is high. As a result, it leads to heart disease, irregular heartbeat, and other complications.
Lercanidipine contains 'Lercanidipine' that works by relaxing the blood vessels. This reduces the workload on the heart and makes the heart more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body. This medicine needs to be taken regularly to be effective and also for the best results.
Take Lercanidipine as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Lercanidipine for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you depending on your medical condition. You may experience dizziness, headache, faster heart rate, a feeling of fast or uneven heartbeat (palpitations), sudden reddening of your face, neck, or upper chest (flushing), and ankle swelling in some cases. Most of these side effects of Lercanidipine do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
If you are known to be allergic to Lercanidipine or any other medicines, please inform your doctor. Before taking Lercanidipine, let your doctor know if you have had hypotension (low blood pressure), angina chest pain, or heart problems, liver or kidney disease, or diabetes. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also consult their doctor before taking Lercanidipine. Lercanidipine is not recommended in children below 18 as safety and efficacy have not been established in children. You should monitor your blood pressure regularly to be sure that the Lercanidipine is working efficiently. And also, a healthy diet, and regular exercise is necessary to keep blood pressure under control. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you're taking Lercanidipine. It can make side effects worse. Even a small reduction in sodium in your diet helps improve your heart's health and reduce blood pressure.
Uses of Lercanidipine
Medicinal Benefits
Lercanidipine is an anti-hypertensive drug that treats high blood pressure (hypertension). Lercanidipine contain ‘Lercanidipine’ that works by relaxing the blood vessels; this lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of having a stroke, a heart attack, heart-related chest pain (angina) other heart problems, or kidney problems in the future. This medicine needs to be taken regularly to be effective and also for the best results.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Lercanidipine
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Faster heart rate
- A feeling of fast or uneven heartbeat (palpitations)
- Sudden reddening of your face, neck, or upper chest (flushing)
- Ankle swelling
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Lercanidipine should not be given to people allergic to Lercanidipine or many of its ingredients. Do not take Lercanidipine if you are allergic to any of its contents or if you recently had a heart attack, angina chest pain, or heart problems. Lercanidipine should be taken with caution in patients with liver or kidney disease, hypotension (low blood pressure), and diabetes. You should monitor your blood pressure regularly to make sure the Lercanidipine is working efficiently. Do not take Lercanidipine if you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding women unless prescribed by a doctor. Safety and efficacy of Lercanidipine in children under 18 years have not been established, so it should not be given to them. Lercanidipine causes drowsiness and dizziness, do not drive unless you are alert. Drinking alcohol while using Lercanidipine can cause you to have low blood pressure, and increase dizziness, so avoid alcoholic beverages. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you are taking Lercanidipine. It can make side effects worse.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug interaction: Lercanidipine is known to interact when taken with other medicines to treat high blood pressure (captopril, enalapril, benazepril, fosinopril), medicines used to treat fast heartbeat (amiodarone, quinidine), a medicine to treat a heart problem (digoxin), anti TB drug (rifampicin), antibiotics (erythromycin, troleandomycin, clarithromycin), antifungal medicines (ketoconazole, itraconazole), antivirals (ritonavir), antiepileptic (carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbitone, primidone), medicines to ease breathing (aminophylline, theophylline).
Drug-Food Interaction: Lercanidipine may interact with grapefruit, grapefruit juices. Hence it should not be taken with Lercanidipine.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Lercanidipine is contraindicated in patients with cardiogenic shock (when suddenly the heart does not get enough blood supply), a recent history of unstable angina (chest pain), heart failure, and hypotension (low blood pressure).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeIt is unsafe to consume alcohol, since alcohol consumption with Lercanidipine may increase the risk of low blood pressure and cause adverse effects such as dizziness, fainting, light-headedness or headache.
Pregnancy
cautionIf you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking Lercanidipine. Your doctor will weigh the potential risks and benefits before prescribing Lercanidipine.
Breast Feeding
cautionDo not take Lercanidipine as it may pass through the breast milk. Please consult your doctor before taking Lercanidipine if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
cautionIt is advised to drive with caution after taking Lercanidipine as it usually causes dizziness, weakness, or drowsiness and affects the driving ability.
Liver
cautionLet your doctor know if you have any history of liver diseases before taking Lercanidipine. Dosage adjustments are required in patients with liver problems.
Kidney
cautionLet your doctor know if you have any history of kidney diseases before taking Lercanidipine. Dosage adjustments are required in patients with kidney problems.
Children
unsafeLercanidipine is not recommended for children below the age of 18 years.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Keep your weight under control with BMI 19.5-24.9.
- Do regular physical activity or exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, or about 30 minutes most days of the week. Doing this can help you to lower your raised blood pressure by about 5 mm of Hg.
- Opt for a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy products.
- Limit intake of sodium chloride (table salt) in your daily diet to 2300 mg per day or less than 1500 mg is ideal for most adults.
- If you are taking alcohol then only one serving for women and two servings for men is advisable.
- Quitting smoking is the best strategy to lower the risk of heart disease.
- Avoid chronic stress as it can raise your blood pressure. Try to enjoy and spent time with your loved ones to cope with stress and practice mindfulness techniques.
- Monitor your blood pressure daily and if there is too much fluctuation then immediately contact your doctor.
- Try to include heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acid-containing food drinks in your daily diet. You can also use low-fat cooking oil like olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and coconut oil can help in lowering your elevated blood pressure.
Special Advise
- Keep a check on your daily blood pressure, and if you notice any fluctuations, please consult a doctor.
- A low salt/sodium diet and regular exercise and recommended along with Lercanidipine for effective results.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Blood pressure: It is the measurement of the force that our heart uses to pump blood to all parts of the body. Hypertension is a chronic condition when blood pressure is too high. This condition can lead to hardened arteries (blood vessels), decreasing the blood and oxygen flow to the heart. Raised blood pressure can cause chest pain (angina) and heart attack (when blood supply to the heart is blocked). Additionally, high blood pressure also causes brain damage (stroke) and kidney failure. High blood pressure can be diagnosed with the help of a blood pressure monitor or sphygmomanometer. Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart pumps blood out. On the other hand, diastolic pressure is when your heart is at the resting stage between heartbeats. If your blood pressure is 140/90 mm of Hg, it means the systolic pressure is 140 mm of Hg and, diastolic pressure is 90 mm of Hg. Ideal blood pressure should be between 90/60 mm of Hg and 120/80 mm of Hg.
FAQs
Lercanidipine contain 'Lercanidipine' is a calcium channel blocker (CCB) used to lower high blood pressure (hypertension). They work by relaxing the blood vessels and making the heart more efficient at pumping blood throughout the body.
Lercanidipine is not recommended in pregnancy. Consult your doctor before taking Lercanidipine if you plan to become pregnant or already pregnant. Your doctor will weigh the potential risks and benefits before prescribing Lercanidipine.
Lercanidipine can be safely taken as long as your doctor has prescribed it to you. Conditions such as high blood pressure are lifelong conditions and one should not abruptly discontinue it without discussing it with a doctor.
Lercanidipine is a prescribed drug, given by a physician for preventing specific medical conditions. Taking it on your own can cause unwanted side effects.
You are advised to inform your doctor and monitor your blood pressure for at least two weeks before stopping the medicine. Depending upon your current blood pressure readings, there is a possibility your doctor may lower your medicine dosage and not recommended discontinuing it.
In case, you have missed a dose of Lercanidipine, you are advised to take it as soon as you remember. However, try not to miss a dose in the first place, if its time for you to take your next dose, then do not take both doses together. Take only one dose, taking a double dose of Lercanidipine will lead to low blood pressure (hypotension).
Lercanidipine is known to cause ankle swelling upon long term use. Please try to keep your feet up when sitting for long hours. If the problem persists still, consult your doctor and do as advised.
